Elderly Woman Struck, Apartment Burned

A woman struck an 82-year-old Manhattan woman in the head and set her apartment on fire during a neighbors' spat yesterday, police said.

Police said the fight between neighbors at the Lillian Wald Houses on East 6th Street in the East Village, may have been over money.

According to police, the suspect, identified as 67-year-old Martha Lugo, knocked on her neighbor's door around 10:45 a.m., when she may have asked to borrow some money. Police said during the subsequent dispute, she allegedly struck her neighbor over the head, and then set fire to her apartment. The fire was extinguished within minutes.

The victim was taken to Bellevue Hospital with a laceration on her head and a broken hand. She was in stable condition last night.

Meanwhile, police said was in the custody of police and being questioned about the incident. As of last night, there were no arrests.